NEDiv Divisional Road Rally
The 1998 Winter Rally Series…sanctioned by Finger Lakes Region, SCCA, in cooperation with COCR Rally Club
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
Thirty-seven teams braved the winter rain and mud of upstate New York on January 3 for the 1998 version of Snow*Flake. Long a staple of the NeDiv Divisional Championship, this years event drew so many cars that we ran out of route instructions! Gosh, don't you just hate that. The late entering team of Alan Blood and Craig McMaster traded a reduced entry fee for a trip to Kinko's.
Mud! Did you say Mud! Where's the snow? Well, that's what the Rallymaster asked, mournfully, on Saturday morning. Last Tuesday and Wednesday, Western through Central New York and the Southern Tier received between 9 and 35 inches of snow. We shoveled, and slogged through it for a few days. Then on Friday morning we woke to puddles! in the driveway. The temperature climbed from -7 on New Year's Eve to the fourties on Friday and fifties on Saturday. So, there wasn't any snow left to play in by Saturday night. Maybe next year.
The wonderfully large entry waited patiently during Registration, giving contestants a chance to chat before the event. What else is there to do while standing in a line that wraps completely around the inside of the BK? Marsha Toombs efficiently processed the paperwork and everyone was ready by the official close of registration. Meanwhile the newcomers participated in a class led by veteran rallyist Bob Kraus.
Entrants came from New Hampshire (4), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario, Albany, and points in between as well as the strong local contingent.
After a brief contestants meeting for a road report and issuing of car numbers, the first car left at 5:30 pm. The first section wound south through the Bristol Hills, ending with a radio control and tough uphill climb on (traditional) Parrish Hill. After 7 controls, John and Dave McArthur had 3 points, followed by Mike Friedman and Marc Goldfarb with 6 (Equipped). In Limited, Karl Haltiner/Mac McCann had a comfortable lead of 20 points over Stephanie Gosselin/ Fred Mapplebeck. In the sixteen car Stock class, Rob Hurley/ Dave Donatello had a lead of 21 points over Dave Ciufo/ Rich Hyman. Novice team Ed Seidman/ Lawrence Beck led Jim Kuhn/Jen Logel 189 to 223.
At the midpoint break at the familiar Kanona Truckstop, the leads remained the same after 11 legs including another radio (hidden) control. In Stock, Roy Hopkins/Drew Summers had a 27 to challeng the leaders 49, but remained behind overall. Haltiner extended his lead to 45 points, while the McArthurs moved just a bit further ahead of Friedfarb. Frank Beyer/Mike Mazoway had an 11 for the section, but they had no way to overcome the 427 points they earned when they went through a control thinking they were in a free zone in the first section (ouch!). Seidman doubled his lead over Kuhn in Novice.
After 18 controls and 150 miles, only one car did not finish. Beyer/Mazoway had an electrical system failure prior to the last control and were towed in by the sweep team of Bruce & Stephen Henry. McArthurs maintained their position to place first in Equipped with 21 points (after a multiplier of 1.5 for competing at 40 mph instead of 45). Friedfarb were second with 32, also at "B" speed. In Limited, Haltiner/McCann triumphed with 38 points, running A speed. Gosselin/Mapplebeck were second with 116 at B speed (1.25 factor). That back-calculates to a 93 raw score.
In Stock Hurley/Donatello remained in front with 128 points, ahead of Smith/Seeley at 191. Novices Seidman/Beck had an impressive total of 492 for the event, averaging 27 points per control, and with several single digits scores. Vincent Bolt/Brandon Schlemer moved ahead of Kuhn/Logel to take second with 775.
The event ended at Cheap Charlie's in Bloomfield where rally lies were told while scores were calculated. Thirty seven teams times 18 controls with four classes, three speed groups, and multiple speed factors.... Suffice it to say it was late when awards were presented. Several errors in arithmetic and data entry were corrected to arrive at the final scores presented here.
Special thanks to Mike Friedman of Small Systems Specialists (Alpha rally equipment) for providing merchandise discount certificates for first through third and last in each class.
Many thanks to the 25 workers who waited out in the mud and rain working the event. We hope that contestants enjoyed the event and will plan to come back for the next (and future) event in the Winter Rally Series. January 31, 1998. Wacky Racers '98 presented by Bruce Perry starts in Dansville, NY.
Thanks,
Bill Laitenberger, Rallymaster
Debbi Segall, Chairman